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Vegetable Gardening

should I pull my garlic?

11 years ago

All the garlic I have planted is laying on it's side... like something took a nap in it. The leaves are brown on the edges, but it did take a bit of frost damage earlier in the year so I'm not sure if it's just damaged leaves or not. Should I go ahead and pull it? Seems like I pulled it a lot later last year...

Abby

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Comments (7)

ikea_gw
11 years ago
I usually pull mine when I have 4 or 5 green leaves left. This includes the green leaves with brown/yellow tips or edges. I am in 7a and I think my porcelain garlics will need another week or so. This spring had been unusually warm for a lot of us so your garlic might be ready. Can you dig around to see how big the bulb is?
phantom_white
Original Author
11 years ago
I pulled some of the smaller ones- the tops are snapping off at the base where the leaves join the bulb. The ones I managed to get out are tiny little nothings... some don't even have cloves. *~*

Abby
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Ditto on the recommendation to wait awhile. Those are soft neck garlic, the signs for when to harvest differ... one of mine lays down like onions when ready, while others need to be harvested when a percentage of leaves turn brown. I harvest when the browning of the total leaf area reaches about 50%, rather than when whole leaves die. The thing to remember about garlic is that every remaining green leaf represents a layer of protective bulb skin... so if the garlic is intended for long storage, early is better than late. There is a good guide for harvesting the different types of garlic here: Heirloom garlic FAQ
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ikea_gw
11 years ago
Abby, when did you plant your garlics? Also have you been feeding them? Garlics are heavy feeders. Of course the rest of them may still be ok. Smaller plants make smaller bulbs but when they don't have cloves yet you may be pulling them too early.
bella_trix
11 years ago
Abby - I'd wait until the leaves are brown with the only 4/5 green leaves left. For some reason this year, I had some of mine fall over, too. It has never happened before and it was with varieties that I've grown before. I'm not sure how they will do, but I've left them to grow that way.

For your zone, I'd say it is too early to have the garlic bulb up. (side note: if you planted in spring, garlic needs to be planted in the fall for our zone).

Bellatrix
stuffradio
11 years ago
I planted in October and had little protection except a tiny layer of Mulch over the dirt. I got down to -13 C in January with the Garlic starting to sprout in December.

I probably won't harvest until middle to end of next month. They are about 4.5 feet tall.
phantom_white
Original Author
11 years ago
I planted around Columbus Day last year. I worked really hard to make the soil they're planted in really good but they haven't grown very much. They're about 2 feet tall and very spindly. The stalks were much bigger last year when they were grown in dirt that wasn't all that great. I'm pretty sure they're getting the rain and nutrients that need..
tetrazzini
11 years ago
What did you do to the soil when you prepped for the garlic? Is it in a sunny location? Did you plant big cloves? I waited til December to plant garlic a few times, and the bulbs did come out smaller. I think earlier establishment (Columbus Day around here) really makes a difference. But even planting in December, the garlic crop never had spindly stems.

Also, dig them out, don't pull, as tempting as that is. Especially if the necks are weak.

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